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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · club · bear · snap · pitch · hide · hand · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. club — a group
  3. pitch — completely
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bear — the animal
  15. club — for dancing
  16. club — for golf
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — an injury
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. snap — to click
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com